


Intro to Romanticism (and Fiscal Irresponsibility)

by no_sweat_boba_fett



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Canon-ish, Inspired by that line from Biology 101, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24677707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/no_sweat_boba_fett/pseuds/no_sweat_boba_fett
Summary: An imagined cold-open script. Troy and Abed announce that they're moving in together and the study group reacts in a pretty typical way.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 18
Kudos: 163





	Intro to Romanticism (and Fiscal Irresponsibility)

COLD OPEN 

FADE IN: 

INT. GREENDALE STUDY ROOM - DAYTIME

The STUDY GROUP is mid-conversation. 

TROY: Speaking of figuring things out, Abed and I have an announcement. 

He grins at ABED. The other STUDY GROUP members exchange glances. 

ABED: Troy and I are living together!

More glances are exchanged. BRITTA and SHIRLEY are both about to speak. 

ABED (quickly): We're also _together_ together, if that wasn't clear from context.

The rest of the STUDY GROUP reacts; all are speaking at once. SHIRLEY and ANNIE appear to be competing over who can offer the most emotive "That's _nice_ ". BRITTA produces a miniature pride flag and hands it to Troy, who politely ignores both a large coffee stain and the rolling paper stuck to the back. ABED looks on as PIERCE leafs through an overstuffed binder and makes notes in pencil while muttering to himself. 

JEFF: Okay. OKAY. Troy and Abed, we're all very happy for you. Now, I'm giving us-

(he glances at the clock)  
\- _four_ minutes for all this sappy emotional crap before we have to get down to the cafeteria. I promised the Dean that we'd help set up for the Royal Flush Fundraiser Dance and Poker Evening Extravaganza tonight.

The rest of the group looks confused. JEFF allows himself a resigned sigh.

JEFF: The Dean needs money to fix the third floor bathrooms again. Apparently, massive amounts of orange paint really do a number on the plumbing system.

TROY nods in understanding. SHIRLEY starts to speak. 

SHIRLEY: Well, since we have the time, I'd like to say something. I know that I have been judgmental of certain _lifestyle choices_ in the past, and I may be a little too committed to sharing the tenets of my faith with my friends-

ANNIE (interrupting): Is that what you call showing up at my apartment last weekend with a copy of _A Teenage Girl's Guide to Bible Study_ that you hand-bedazzled with my initials in glitter "just in case I was interested in the Word of the Lord"?

SHIRLEY: What I'm trying to say is that I've made some mistakes before. But what really matters to me is that you boys are happy. 

She smiles at TROY and ABED. 

BRITTA: I want you both to know that I fully support you being a couple. And I _admire_ and _respect_ your bravery in coming out. Actually, this reminds me of the time when I told the barista that she spelled my name wrong on my coffee cu-

PIERCE clears his throat. TROY and ABED, along with the rest of the study group, shift to look at him, forgetting about BRITTA. 

PIERCE: Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir, I am happy for you and I express my congratulations with regard to your relationship in a non-creepy way. I wish you the best and

(he squints)  
that's it shut up stop talking now peace. Jeff, your handwriting is atrocious. 

TROY and ABED turn to the other end of the table, where JEFF is holding up sheets of notebook paper like cue cards for PIERCE. The last one has: 

ALSO DON'T MENTION THE BETTING POOL IT WAS PROBABLY A BAD IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE

scrawled on it. JEFF drops the cue card and shrugs. 

JEFF: Sorry, this seemed like the best option. I've read most of that binder. Much more supportive than I expected, but if we let him start it we'll be here for hours. And learn a disturbing amount of information about animal husbandry practices in Ancient Greece.

ANNIE: Ugh, I don't even want to know. Troy and Abed, what we're all trying to say is that we're proud of you and we're glad you're happy. And if you happen to remember and have objective, verifiable, proof of the exact date and time when you got together it would be helpful to- 

JEFF (a little annoyed): You know, this is just another example of the Greendale Effect. It figures that the only functional romantic relationship in this study group is between two grown men that think Froot Loops are a food group and who choose to communicate exclusively in animal noises on alternate Mondays. 

ANNIE: But Jeff, everyone loves Monkey Mondays! And, not to brag, but I've been putting a lot of work into my bonobo impression and I think it's really paying off. 

The STUDY GROUP agrees. SHIRLEY pulls a banana out of her purse and slides it to ANNIE. ABED shoots finger guns at her.

JEFF: You know what? Annie's right. I've said enough. 

He stands and walks over to TROY and ABED. The rest of the STUDY GROUP follows and joins them in a group hug. They stay there for a moment. 

ANNIE (slightly muffled): What I was saying earlier, about the day you guys- 

ABED: That's easy. It was two weeks ago, before school started. Here, I took this picture. 

He shows his cell phone to the group. We see a selfie of TROY and ABED with their arms wrapped around each other, sitting at the top of a ferris wheel. TROY is wearing an oversized hat with a little propeller on it. ABED's face and neck are covered in temporary tattoos. The majority are colorful hearts, stars and rainbows, but one on his cheek bears a striking resemblance to a doodle of Kickpuncher doing a backflip from the cover of TROY'S biology textbook. 

THE WHOLE STUDY GROUP, EVEN JEFF (though a little reluctantly): Aww... 

TROY: Here, the file says it was taken at 9:31 PM on August 18. 

The STUDY GROUP suddenly breaks apart. BRITTA, JEFF, PIERCE, and SHIRLEY all look intensely disappointed. 

TROY (sadly): I know, the Kickpuncher tattoo is crooked. I had to sneeze while I was putting it on and I just couldn't help it. 

He stops in surprise as ANNIE starts squealing. She breaks out into a little happy dance as the other STUDY GROUP members shuffle to their seats. They all rifle through their pockets and bags. TROY and ABED remain standing, looking on in confusion. 

TROY shrugs, then turns and grins at ABED. ABED raises his eyebrows and reaches for TROY'S hand. They stay there, smiling at each other. 

We see ANNIE, beaming in her chair behind a tall pile consisting of spare change, crumpled dollar bills, one of SHIRLEY'S brownies wrapped in a Greendale cafeteria napkin, and a hastily scribbled I.O.U. from BRITTA. 

ANNIE (excited): I won the bet! 45 seconds later and I would have owed Pierce 20 bucks and my resident's discount at Dildopolis. Troy and Abed, you're the best! 

The STUDY GROUP turns to TROY and ABED, but they're still looking at each other. They're lost in their own world and seem to have missed ANNIE'S comment. 

FADE OUT. 

END OF COLD OPEN 

THEME SONG, OPENING CREDITS PLAY. 

**Author's Note:**

> First fic! I wanted to try out the script format but it was pretty difficult to get used to. I think the descriptions might have been better (definitely easier) if I stuck to normal narration. Inspired by the scene in "Biology 101" (s3 ep1) where Troy and Abed announce that they're moving in together. Essentially non-canon but set sometime in the beginning of season 3.  
> Feel free to drop any suggestions you have in the comments! I'm also no-sweat-boba-fett on tumblr if you want to talk there.


End file.
